Hamlets of Sigaboy

Founded in the 1750s, Linas, the first settlement of what is now Governor Generoso, was established by Christian settlers from Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, and Bislig City. In a letter dated July 16, 1891, Jesuit missionary Fr. Juan B. Llopart described the small hamlet’s strategic location:

“Linas is on a promontory of white coral sheer above the shoreline, inaccessible from the sea and to a great extent from the interior because it is on a narrow rock, very well defended therefore against the Moros, at the time certainly feared, and lords of the entire Davao Gulf. But it is not without a normal stretch of flatland for planting.”

Despite its isolation, Linas thrived, with settlers intermarrying with native women. Over time, its existence drew the attention of missionaries serving the Surigao region. A Recollect priest, whose jurisdiction included the nearby areas, attended to the settlers’ spiritual needs, traveling great distances through Santiago and San Agustin points to reach them.

According to tradition, this unnamed Recollect priest built a chapel in Linas and dedicated it to Saint Francis Xavier. As the settlement grew, it was classified as a pueblo and, like other missionary-established towns, was assigned a gobernadorcillo (mayor). Due to the threat posed by the Moros, the colonial government equipped the town with firearms, including a 12-inch cannon.

Following the defeat of the Moros in the Davao Gulf by Don Jose Oyanguren, the Spanish colonial government sought to reorganize settlements. Observing that conditions in Linas had normalized, Oyanguren proposed relocating the settlers closer to Davao for better supervision and assistance.

Recognizing the governor’s intent, most settlers agreed to move to Sigaboy Island. The new settlement, later named Governor Generoso, was described by Fr. Llopart as follows:

*”Sigaboy is the oldest town of the Davao Gulf, if one considers the foundation date, not its transfer from Linas to the site it now occupies. It is at the foot of a high hill showing, from its form and the surrounding extensive plain, it once had been an island. It counts 280 souls, almost all old Christians forming 70 families. They are administered by its magistrates, chief deputy, second deputy, justice of the peace, and police officers.

They have a small convento or hut for its missionary who lodges there the few times his continued mission trips allow him. A coadjutor brother, the companion of the missionary in this mission, is always there to guard the house and the church and [to] help the priest any way he can. The church, of light materials, is quite rundown, but it is being rebuilt and enlarged with better materials. The town has its hall, fort, and schools with substitute teachers.”*

Some settlers, however, found the new location unappealing and returned to the peninsula of San Agustin, which at the time spanned Balete in Mayo Bay, Punta Magum, Cape San Agustin, and Kuabu in the Davao Gulf.

The relocation of settlers from Linas ultimately led to its abandonment, leaving only a handful of unbaptized tribesmen behind. Eventually, converts established a new hamlet on another site, at the foot of a hill near the Pundagitan River. This new settlement, named Sigaboy after the nearby river, attracted thirty families. Like its predecessor, it was governed by a deputy, a magistrate, and a warden, remaining a mission station for traveling missionaries.

In 1889, Sigaboy endured two natural calamities—a severe drought and famine—forcing residents to seek food elsewhere. Despite these hardships, the community rebuilt their church, village hall, and homes. However, in May 1891, strong westerly winds destroyed their settlement once more, compelling residents to take shelter under collapsed roofs, in caves, or in the mountains until the storm passed.

Despite these challenges, the resilience of the settlers of Linas and Sigaboy shaped the foundations of what would later become the municipality of Governor Generoso—one of the oldest set-tlements in the Davao Gulf. (20)